BF Goodrich® Tires Recognizes Yacolt Burn in Washington as Part of the 2010 Outstanding Trails

Washougal, Wash. (Oct. 18, 2010) – Located just east of Vancouver, Washington, in the southwestern corner of the Yacolt Burn State Forest, Yacolt Burn was honored this past weekend by BFGoodrich® Tires as one of the 2010 Outstanding Trails. Off-road enthusiasts and members of the Piston’s Wild Motorsports club took part in the weekend event as BFGoodrich Tires presented a grant of $4,000 to the club. The grant will be used to help the Piston’s Wild Motorsports club and others design the trail system and offset some of the costs of getting the area open to off-highway users.

The Piston’s Wild Motorsports club is a not-for-profit organization that works to create a legal, safe and unique off-highway vehicle (OHV) trail system in the Yacolt Burn State Forest area for the riding public to experience and enjoy.

BFGoodrich Tires, working in conjunction with Tread Lightly!® and United Four Wheel Drive Associations (UFWDA), chose the Yacolt Burn trail system because of its scenic beauty and potential it presents to off-road enthusiasts. Piston’s Wild Motorsports is working closely with the Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and other motorized user groups to design this diverse and challenging trail system for all off-road enthusiasts. Construction for the trail is in full force and opening date for public access to the trails is yet to be announced (mid-summer to late 2011 is hoped). Upon completion, the Yacolt Burn off-road recreation area will offer 30-plus miles of four-wheel trails, and 40-plus miles of trails for all-terrain vehicles (ATVs).

“Offering spectacular views of the Cascade Mountains and remarkable scenery Yacolt Burn will bring off-road enthusiasts an experience that is worth looking forward to,” said Steve Calder, product category manager, light truck off-road and commercial, BFGoodrich Tires. “We’re honored to provide the Piston’s Wild Motorsports club with a grant to help in the conservation efforts for this amazing off-road trail system.”

In addition to the existing Jones Creek Trailhead, the plan also makes room for a large campground and trailhead in the heart of the forest. Elevations in the planning area range from 600 feet to 3,500 feet and major streams within the south part of the planning area flow south to the Washougal River, leading to the stunning Columbia River Gorge. Plans to create trails and features that will range from mild to wild are set, with the intention of creating an OHV recreation area.

“It was such an honor just to be nominated for this award,” said Crystal Crowder, president of the Piston’s Wild Motorsports club. “To actually be added to the list of remarkable clubs and trails speaks volumes about each individual member in this club who has worked so hard to reclaim access for 4×4’s in the Yacolt Burn State Forest.”

Celebrating its five-year anniversary, the BFGoodrich Tires Outstanding Trails program is dedicated to the responsible use, and preservation of, off-road trails while providing aid in the trails’ conservation efforts. Since its inception, the Outstanding Trails program has recognized 19 off-road trails in 16 states and two in Canada. The program has also given more than $70,000 in grants to clubs and seen more than 2,500 participants at trail events.

Both Tread Lightly! And UFWDA are non-profit organizations dedicated to responsible and ethical outdoor recreation. BFGoodrich Tires collaborated with these two groups to select the finest off-road trails, and will continue to work with these organizations on restoration and education initiatives.

United Four Wheel Drive Associations is the world’s leading representative of all-brand four wheel-drive enthusiasts. UFWDA benefits, developed and tested true over the past 30 years, include four wheel drive safety and awareness education; user ethics programs such as adopt-a-road, conservation volunteer, and volunteer trail patrol; assistance with new club formation; education seminars to aid four wheelers through complex state and federal programs affecting trail access; internet forums designed to connect members globally and instantaneously; and unrestrained member access to its full-time legislative advocate and nationally-recognized attorney working exclusively for four wheel drive enthusiasts to protect access and prevent road and trail closures. For more information on the UFWDA log on to www.ufwda.org or call toll free 1-800-44-UFWDA (800-448-3932).

Tread Lightly!® is a national nonprofit organization with a mission to promote responsible recreation through ethics education and stewardship. Tread Lightly!’s strategic educational message, along with its training and restoration initiatives are designed to instill an ethic of responsibility in outdoor enthusiasts and the industries that serve them. The program is long-term in scope with a goal to balance the needs of the people who enjoy outdoor recreation with the needs of the environment. The federal government recognizes this by acknowledging Tread Lightly! as a sole-source service provider of education and training on how to be environmentally and socially responsible while using motorized and mechanized vehicles in off-highway settings.

Using motorsports as a proving ground for more than 40 years, BFGoodrich® Tires is involved in every type of racing, including oval, sports car, drifting, drag, desert, dirt, rally and extreme rock crawling. BFGoodrich Tires combines technological expertise with vast motorsports experience, delivering a high-performance tire for every type of vehicle. Visit BFGoodrich Tires at www.BFGoodrichTires.com.